THE ASSOCIATION
The Association was
formed in 1982 as a result of a meeting between Schools attending the American
Diving Contractors Conference in New
Orleans. The
aims of the Association were then, and are now ;-
·
To provide a means of effective communication between schools.
·
To work towards common International Standards of Training.
·
To improve the quality of commercial diving education
·
To work towards improved standards of safety, emergency drills and
procedures.
·
To provide a common and collective voice to government industrial
agencies on any matter affecting members.
·
To co-operate on matters which may improve placement opportunities for
graduates from member schools.
·
To promote any activity, idea or subject which may improve the
international operations of the Association.
The Association is
concerned with all divers - Offshore, Inshore and Inland - as well as non
diving qualifications e.g. Supervisor, DMT and LST. The Association has established International
Diver Training Standards based on the consensus opinion of its many members, they
are available in a separate publication.
The Standards provide both a yardstick for those responsible for either
administering existing National Standards or creating new ones, and a guide for
Clients, Diving Contractors and Divers themselves. It is considered that the
introduction of these Internationally agreed diver training standard will have
the effect of ;-
·
Equating
Standards Internationally.
·
Providing
Guidance to Organisations setting Standards for the first time.
·
Improving
Safety.
·
Providing
Contractors with a direct input to the Diver Training Syllabus.
·
Enabling
Contractors to bid across National Borders on a more even playing field.
·
Improving
Diver quality.
·
Providing
Divers with greater Job Opportunities.
Some governments have
and will, set their own National Diver Training Standards. The IDSA
programme provides a means of equating them by maintaining a Table of
Equivalence - see the Publications section of the Association’s Website.
International
Diving Schools Association
47 Faubourg de la Madeleine
56140 Malestroit
Brittany, France
Phone : +33 (0)2 9773 7261
E Mail : info@idsaworldwide.org
Web : www.idsaworldwide.org
TYPES of MEMBERSHIP
There are 5 types of
Membership :.
FULL This type of membership is divided into 2 categories:
1.
Full Member (Diver Training)
2.
Full Member (Specialist Diving)
ASSOCIATE Schools who are either considering Full
Membership or who wish to be associated with the work of the Association.
AFFILIATE Government Departments, Diving
Contractors and other Organisations concerned with or interested in the work of
the Association.
INDUSTRIAL Clients, Diving
Contractors, Suppliers, Manufacturers and other relevant organisations who wish
to show their support for the work of the Association in the form of
Sponsorship.
The IDSA
DIVER TRAINING STANDARDS
The IDSA Diver Training System is based on a modular
approach. Each Standard, or Level of Competence, is made up from a combination
of modules (see Tables 1 and 2 on page 3).
The modules may be taught in two ways :
Either Combined
as an integrated course,
Modules may be combined to run a course leading to one of
the IDSA Levels, for example, if modules A & B are combined, successful
students would be eligible to receive the IDSA Level 1 (SCUBA) qualification.
Or Individually
Note : The order in which the
elements of each Module or combination of Modules are taught may be altered
to suit the facilities, staff and equipment available, provided they are progressive.
The current Modules are described in the Tables which follow.
TABLE 1 : The IDSA
DIVER TRAINING MODULES
|
|
MODULE TYPE
|
DETAIL
|
|
A
|
Preparatory
|
Diving principles and theory common to both SCUBA and
Surface Supply. Must be combined with either the SCUBA or Standard Surface
Supply Modules.
|
Theory
only
|
B
|
SCUBA
|
Training and assessment in the use
of SCUBA and simple work t tasks
|
30m
|
C
|
|
Training and assessment in the use
of Surface Orientated Air Diving
Equipment and common inland/inshore work tasks
|
30m
|
D
|
Surface Supply Offshore
|
Training and
assessment in air diving operations using an open (wet) bell acting as Bellman and Diver and/or
using a Hot Water suit.
|
50m
|
E
|
Closed Bell/
Mixed Gas
|
Training and assessment in the use and operation
of a closed bell – acting as Bellman and Diver using the appropriate
breathing gas mixture
|
100m
|
TABLE 2 : The IDSA
DIVER TRAINING STANDARDS
|
IDSA STANDARDS
|
MADE UP of MODULES
|
DETAIL
|
Note 1
|
IDSA Level 1
Commercial SCUBA Diver
|
A + B
|
Competent to dive safely using open
circuit self-contained air breathing equipment. Has a working knowledge of
the following tasks :- ,
Elementary rigging, the Use of
Lifting Bags, Diver Search Techniques, the Use of Hand Tools and Visual
Inspection - see Note 2
|
30m
|
IDSA Level 2
Surface Supplied Inshore Air Diver
|
A + B + C
|
Competent to dive safely both inland
& inshore using open circuit self-contained air breathing equipment and
surface orientated air diving equipment.
Has a working knowledge of the Level 1 tasks plus Chamber Operations, the use of Power Tools, thermal Arc Cutting
equipment, Air Lifts and Jetting equipment, simple Underwater Construction
tasks - see Note 2. The principles of
the following subjects are also taught, but in-water experience is not
mandatory ;-Bolt Guns, Explosives, Wet Welding, Diving in Polluted Waters
|
30m
|
IDSA Level 3 Surface
Supplied Offshore Air Diver
|
A + B+ C + D
|
Competent to dive inland, inshore &
offshore using, open circuit self-contained air breathing equipment, surface
orientated air diving equipment, and from an open bell. Able to use a hot-water suit. Has a working
knowledge of the work tasks listed in Levels 1 & 2.
|
50m
|
IDSA Level 4 Closed
Bell/Mixed Gas Diver
|
All Modules
|
A level 3 diver who is competent to
take part in closed bell operations, acting as Bellman and Diver, using the
appropriate breathing gas mixture
|
100m
|
NOTES :
1. Depth Limits : The depths shown in the right hand column of the tables
are those which a diver is competent to achieve on successful completion of
training. He/she may go deeper with
further experience and/or training as assessed by a Diving Contractor and
allowed by National Legislation.
2. Task
training The Task
training set out in the modules will provide the trainee with a general
appreciation of the techniques and problems involved in carrying out the
specified underwater work. For the diver to be considered a competent worker it
will generally be necessary for further
specialist training to be undertaken,
especially for cutting, welding, explosives, NDT and offshore air diving.
IDSA PUBLICATIONS
Full details of the way in which the Association operates are
contained in two documents - The 'Diver Training Standards' (DTS) and the
'Operational and Administrative Procedures' (OAP). Both documents may be downloaded from our
Website www.idsaworldwide.org and are
designed to give a complete framework for the Approval of Schools and the Standards
they should teach. They are particularly
relevant to Countries which as yet do not have their own National Standards. They have the advantage of being independent
as they have been created by the consensus view of the Members, and are
therefore not influenced by any national allegiance. The Standards contain
details of the 5 IDSA Diver Training
Standards, information concerning Applications for Membership : Auditing : the Issue
of Qualification cards and other relevant matters.
